Packaging Helicopter Parts

An aerospace client wanted to lower the cost of the crates they were using to ship helicopter parts.

Their current crate was large and required technicians to spend a full 8-hour day taking apart the wooden crate and reassembling it once the product was placed inside. Additionally, since this crate was reusable, taking apart and putting it back together made it weaker and prone to damage.

Solution

When we got our hands on it, we redesigned the container to utilize a ramp and cart system to load the customer unit outside the crate and roll it into place.

We also painted the crates and utilized a plastic rain cover on the top, which reduced labor time, increased the number of times a crate could be used before damage happened. The redesigned create protected the customer’s unit better, since it could be secured at the facility, loaded on the cart with casters, and then loaded into the crate.

Since the redesigned crate now stays assembled the whole time, we used less robust materials and still achieved the same strength and performance, while reducing the unit cost.

Result

Reduced labor 50%

Reduced Crate price 20%

Increased # of uses for each crate > 4x